A resume tells me what you've done in the past. Yips.
A bio or cover letter tells me the process that took you from point A to point B. Yeah.
A portfolio shows me the artifacts from your past. Mmm Hmm.
Have you ever noticed the irony of using your past to change your future. Which is fine, except most people do it badly. See, they are so focused on the past when creating their career marketing tools (including, of course, online career portfolios), they forget to keep their eye on the prize i.e. where they want to go. Simply detailing your duties at previous or current employers will not attract future employers. Potential employers want that information AS IT PERTAINS TO THEM. If you used a proprietary system at your last employer, you next employer won't care...it was proprietary for crying out loud! There is no chance that skill is meaningful to them. BUT if you streamlined that proprietary system and saved the company 100K, now a potential employer cares. See the difference? You have to show results and relevant information, not just a list of the facts. But if you like facts, here's one for you - they are going to train you on their way of doing things, so even if you already know how to oil a widget, you're going to be trained on their widget oiling method. Better to demonstrate a history of quick learning and adaptability. So go back through your professional portfolio and make sure it projects you forward, rather than holds you back.
A bio or cover letter tells me the process that took you from point A to point B. Yeah.
A portfolio shows me the artifacts from your past. Mmm Hmm.
Have you ever noticed the irony of using your past to change your future. Which is fine, except most people do it badly. See, they are so focused on the past when creating their career marketing tools (including, of course, online career portfolios), they forget to keep their eye on the prize i.e. where they want to go. Simply detailing your duties at previous or current employers will not attract future employers. Potential employers want that information AS IT PERTAINS TO THEM. If you used a proprietary system at your last employer, you next employer won't care...it was proprietary for crying out loud! There is no chance that skill is meaningful to them. BUT if you streamlined that proprietary system and saved the company 100K, now a potential employer cares. See the difference? You have to show results and relevant information, not just a list of the facts. But if you like facts, here's one for you - they are going to train you on their way of doing things, so even if you already know how to oil a widget, you're going to be trained on their widget oiling method. Better to demonstrate a history of quick learning and adaptability. So go back through your professional portfolio and make sure it projects you forward, rather than holds you back.
Powered by Compendium Blogware
Comments for Projecting Forward